A case study in progress of a long-term worker-owned company confirms that ownership is significant in the life of the worker and his relationship with his work--following our our previous research on cooperatives of garbage collectors. For example, worker-owners appeared to be less anxious and more courteous with their clients. Four case studies in progress of other forms of ownership--that is, community ownership through CDCs, community development corporations--have focussed on their potential for preserving and creating jobs (with all that implies for their self-respect and health of the worker) in the face of a national economic downturn. The four case studies involve a range of ethnic low-income communities: Mexican-American, Chinese, Black, and Italian-American.